CODE : SURVIVAL (BTS X READER)

Inside the vent, it was claustrophobic. The metal walls pressed in around them, amplifying the sound of their controlled breathing. Each movement had to be precise, careful. Taehyung led the way, Y/n directly behind him, with the others following single file.

A sudden creak echoed through the vents, making everyone freeze. Y/n’s heart pounded. They couldn’t afford to make noise—not now.

Taehyung hesitated for a moment, then continued, his movements even slower. Y/n swallowed hard, her palms sweating as she carefully pulled herself forward. The vent turned sharply, leading downward. A faint red glow flickered at the far end of the passage.

Then they heard it.

The Stalker’s scrape—closer than it should have been.

Y/n’s breath caught in her throat. Was it… below them?

Jin shifted slightly behind her, the vent groaning under their combined weight. The noise echoed.

The scraping sound halted.

Taehyung whipped his head back, eyes wide. Y/n held up a hand, signaling everyone to stay absolutely still.

Seconds dragged into an eternity.

Then—the scraping resumed, this time moving away.

They let out a silent breath of relief and pressed forward, reaching the vent’s exit. Taehyung carefully pushed open the cover, peering out into the dimly lit hallway.

It was empty.

One by one, they climbed out, their feet hitting solid ground.

They had made it.

For now.

...

The metallic clank echoed one last time as Y/n shoved the vent panel aside and rolled onto the floor with a muffled thud. She sucked in a deep breath of air—and immediately gagged.

“Ugh,” she coughed, waving dust from her face. “Was that vent made of rust and crushed dreams?”

InFront of her, Taehyung flopped out like he’d been spit by the vent itself, landing dramatically on his side, one arm stretched out like a tragic movie character. “Tell my plants... I love them.”

Y/n snorted. “i don’t think you even water them.”

“Exactly,” he whispered, eyes fluttering shut. “My biggest regret...”

Jimin crawled out next, muttering, “If you two are done dying poetically, some of us are trying to survive.”

Yoongi came out with minimal fuss, brushing his clothes off silently like he’d done this a thousand times. “I can’t believe we escaped a monster only to die of ventilation dust.”

Jungkook emerged with a bright grin and tousled hair, looking like he just enjoyed a roller coaster. “Okay, admit it. That was kind of awesome.”

Seven pairs of dead-eyed stares greeted him.

“What?” he asked innocently. “It was like those... spy movies?.”

Namjoon followed last, rubbing a faint scrape on his elbow, surveying their surroundings with narrowed eyes. “Everyone okay?”

“As okay as one can be after being cooked inside a tin tunnel with six men,” Jin replied, adjusting his shirt with exaggerated elegance. “I need a facial. And therapy.”

“Same,” Y/n muttered under her breath, then turned toward the path ahead.

The corridor that greeted them was too clean. A sharp contrast to the grime-filled shaft behind them. White floors gleamed beneath harsh fluorescent lights that buzzed faintly. The walls were stark, clinical. Sterile. It felt more like a science lab than a mall.